Are you looking for the best Baby sleep monitor? Check out our guide before you buy.

It’s natural to want to be sure that your baby is safe when you’re not in the same room — especially when baby is asleep.

For many years baby audio monitors have been a popular way to do just that, and in more recent years baby video monitors have taken baby monitoring technology to a higher level.

Read on to find out everything you need to know about the best baby video monitors…

What is a Baby Video Monitor?

Baby video monitors work using a transmitter and a receiver.

The transmitter is a Camera placed where your baby is sleeping, which then sends a real time video image to the receiver, allowing you to see exactly what baby is doing at that exact moment.

Baby video monitors also come equipped with audio, so even when you’re not looking at the receiver screen, you can still hear if baby makes any unsettling noises which need to be investigated.

There are two different types of baby video monitors — digital and Wi-Fi. Digital monitors transmit a secure signal that can only be decoded by the intended receiver. Wi-Fi baby video monitors have the advantage of being able to transmit a video image to any device, anywhere in the world.

Benefits of a Video Monitor for Babies

There are a whole ton of benefits of video monitors for babies. Here are some of the most important…

Checking on your baby

A video monitor allows you to easily make regular checks on your baby or toddler from afar, without walking into the nursery and causing him or her to wake.

This also saves you precious time as you can carry on with other tasks without being interrupted by having to physically get up and go into another room.

Checking the monitor regularly also ensures that your child is sleeping safely without any potential risks such as trapped arms or legs, or loose blankets or swaddling.

Keeping an eye on carers

When work or personal commitments require parents to spend time away, nannies or babysitters often step in to take care of the little one.

While the vast majority of child carers are wonderful at what they do, it can nevertheless be disconcerting for parents to leave their babies with another person — particularly in the early days.

A baby video monitor allows you to keep a remote visual eye on things in real time, chat with your baby’s carer, and ensure that your infant is getting the care they need and that everything is going according to schedule.

Sleep training

As your baby gets older, they may start to kick up a fuss come bed or nap time.

It can be hard work getting little ones into a regular sleeping routine — particularly when they are clamoring for your attention.

Baby monitors are a great way to check on your child when they are crying instead of sleeping in order to judge whether they are just playing up or whether there is a genuine reason for their distress.

Peace of mind

Being a parent can be tough — both physically and emotionally. Babies are a huge responsibility and it’s natural to want to do everything possible to ensure their safety, happiness, and comfort.

Using a baby video monitor can be an effective way to relieve some of the anxiety and stress, and reassure yourself that baby is just fine.

It will help you keep on top of things and can help you get more of the essential sleep that you need to keep you fit and happy and recharge your batteries, without having to get out of bed and check on baby throughout the night.

Video vs Audio Only Monitors

A video monitor for your baby may seem like an extravagance, so is it really worth spending the extra cash when you could just have a simple audio monitor instead?

In truth there are pros and cons to both.

Let’s take a closer look…

Where audio monitors score

When it comes to price, audio monitors are significantly cheaper than video monitors, so if you’re a parent on a tight budget you may want to think twice before spending more on a video monitor when you might need to use the extra money elsewhere.

Also, as audio monitors are more basic, they are also often slightly easier to set up and to use than video monitors, and tend to have a longer battery life.

In addition to this, some parents find audio monitors less stressful as there is less temptation to keep an eye on your child at every given moment compared to a video monitor where you can constantly seem them in real time.

Why video monitors win

Yes they’re more expensive, but the overall advantages of video monitors over audio monitors are significant.

One major plus point is that whereas with audio monitors your hear a noise and have to guess whether or not it is a cause for concern, with a video monitor you can simply look at the screen and instantly know whether there is a real need to go and physically check on your baby.

Another big advantage in the case of Wi-Fi video monitors is the ability to see what’s going on with your baby remotely wherever you are — whether at work, out to dinner, or out doing the shopping.

Modern video monitors are also increasingly straightforward and easy to use, and should be user friendly enough for most parents. Many models can also be linked to more than one camera, allowing you to see what is happening in more than one room simultaneously — particularly handy when you’ve got other older children to monitor too.

Another great feature of video monitors for babies is that most models allow for two way communication, so you can have visual and audio interaction with your little when even when you can’t be there in person.

There are some unexpected benefits too, such as the chance to capture precious moments that you may not otherwise see, and the undoubtedly greater peace of mind.

Features of the Best Video Monitors

Baby video monitors can come with all sorts of cool features such as temperature control, music players, and heartbeat monitors.

However while these are all great things to have, they aren’t essential.

Here’s our list of the crucial features of the best video monitors for babies that you can’t do without…

Wi-Fi

Video monitors with Wi-Fi offers parents the freedom to keep an eye on their baby from anywhere at any time using their smartphone.

Power indicator

Never get caught short if your baby monitor runs out of battery or needs recharging by choosing a model with a prominent power indicator.

Night vision

See your baby even when he or she is sleeping in a dark room by using a baby monitor with infrared night vision.

Image and sound quality

You need a crisp, color video image and a decent quality of sound to get a really good idea of how your baby is doing.

Portability

Your receiver unit should be small and light and hands free to be truly portable.

Multiple cameras

To make the most of your baby monitor as your baby grows and becomes more independent, select a video monitor that can be expanded with multiple cameras so that you can look at more than one room at a time.

Two way communication

This is a really useful feature when you are away from your baby, as you can communicate with them in person just as you would with a video call.

Sound indicators

When you’re in a noisy room you might not hear your baby crying. Some of the best video monitors for babies feature sound indicators that light up to alert you when your child is in distress.

The Best Baby Video Monitors

Infant Optics DXR-8 Video Baby Monitor

This hi tech baby monitor boasts some awesome features.

It comes with interchangeable lenses and it can be controlled remotely to pan the camera from side to side, tilt it up and down, or zoom in more closely.

It has an infrared light which allows you to watch baby at night without causing a disturbance, and a bright, LED bar gives you an additional aid to alert you to when your baby is crying. It’s also possible to ensure that your baby ‘s environment is not too hot or cold using this monitor’s handy built in temperature sensor.

The Infant Optics DXR-8 Video Baby Monitor operates using a secure 2.4Ghz frequency channel for optimum privacy. The camera can be wall mounted or stood on a flat surface, and can be used for two way communication.

When fully charged the battery will last for up to 12 hours and the screen can be switched off to only use audio in order to save power.

Up to 4 additional cameras can be purchased and added to the system, and additional lenses including a wide angle lens can also be purchased separately.

Pros

• Good range
• Great video and audio quality
• Easy to set up and use
• Can be expanded with additional cameras
• Lots of camera lens options
• Long battery life

Cons

• Can’t be used to record video or take pictures

ANMEATE Digital 2.4Ghz Wireless Video Monitor

A great buy for parents on a budget, the ANMEATE Digital 2.4Ghz Wireless Video Monitor has some great features despite the low price.

The pocket sized LCD screen is small enough to be carried around and has a zoom function for when you need to see what’s going on in more detail.

The camera features infrared light for night time vision and a temperature sensor, and can even be used to play a selection of lullabies to soothe your baby to sleep.

If you need to save on battery power, simply switch the camera to ECO mode, in which it will only activate if baby makes a noise.

Pros

• Excellent automatic night vision camera
• Simple to set up and use
• Decent battery life
• Nice lullaby feature
• Effective zoom lens
• Clear, high resolution display

Cons

• Occasionally beeps unnecessarily
• Camera must be rotated manually

eufy Security Video Baby Monitor

A great choice for when you need a top quality image, the eufy Security Video Baby Monitor boasts a sizeable 5 inch screen with a high resolution of 720p, and the camera can be used with a wide angle lens to get an even better view of your baby.

The camera also features a handy thermostat so you can keep an eye on the temperature at all times, and can be set to activate when it detects noise levels in the nursery to be too loud in order to save on battery power.

When bedtime rolls around the eufy SpaceView video monitor for babies switches to night vision so you continue to receive a clear picture, and if you want to talk to your child from a distance the screen and camera feature a built in microphone and speaker for two way communication.

The camera can either be mounted on a wall or set on a table or shelf, and can pan around the room to up to 330° using the screen controls.

Pros

• Crisp HD image quality
• Good range
• Camera pans smoothly
• Almost no set up required
• Large monitor screen
• Configurable sound-detection alerts
• Long battery life
• Can support up to 4 cameras

Cons

• No recording capabilities
• Not Wi-Fi so remote capabilities aren’t as wide
• Sound quality could be better

Miku Smart Baby Monitor

One of the more expensive baby monitors on our list, the Miku Smart Baby Monitor is crammed with fantastic features.

The award winning design uses secure 2.4GHz Wi-Fi and a local tamper-proof chip to keep your data secure, and offers 2 way audio communication using high quality HD speakers.

Not only that, but this monitoring system is equipped with sensors that track room humidity and temperature, as well as tracking your baby’s breathing and sleep patterns.

All of this information is then analyzed in the form of a historical sleep analysis report and sent to you in real time via the smartphone app so you can see daily and weekly trends.

The system also features optional motion and non motion alerts, and Bluetooth radio.

Take a look at this video review for more info:

Pros

• Stylish design
• Excellent data tracking features
• Can be used to monitor your child wherever you are
• Great quality video and audio
• Useful motion alerts
• Hackproof
• Storable video and photos
• Ceiling mounted to give a comprehensive birds eye view

Cons

• Expensive
• No dedicated display screen

HelloBaby Video Baby Monitor with Camera and Audio

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The Video Baby Monitor with Camera and Audio uses 2.4GHz wireless technology and works over an impressive 960 foot range — even if you’re not inside the house — and will alert you with an alarm when you are not longer in range.

The camera features infrared capability for night time plus a useful 2x digital zoom lens, and can be manually panned or tilted to provide a better view of the nursery.

It also allows you to communicate with your baby with the use of built in microphone and speakers, and can be used to play a choice of lullabies or white noise to help send baby to sleep.

It also monitors room temperature and alerts you if temperatures drop or rise beyond acceptable levels, as well as switching itself off whenever the noise levels stay lower than 50db for 7 seconds in order to save power.

Pros

• Easy to install
• Intuitive to use
• Battery holds a long charge
• Comes with 1 year warranty
• Lightweight and portable
• Great audio quality
• Clear image
• Affordable price
• Works over a long range
• Can be used with up to 4 cameras

Cons

• Camera needs to be panned and tilted manually instead of remotely
• Auto mute function may potentially block out some important sounds

Owlet Cam Baby Video Monitor

One of the best Wi-Fi video monitors for babies, the Owlet Cam Baby Video Monitor has top quality 1080p HD video and comes equipped with a 130° wide angle lens to give you the best view possible of your baby’s room and a 4x digital zoom for when you need to focus on the details.

It also benefits from HD infrared night vision for after sundown, temperature sensors, and motion and sound sensors, and will send notifications to your smartphone via the handy Owlet app to alert you to any significant changes.

The app can also be used to monitor your baby’s heart rate and oxygen levels with the additional purchase of the Owlet sock.

The Wi-Fi uses a secure TLS connection and AES 128-bit encryption to keep your video and audio private. Built in speakers and microphone allow for two way communication between you and your baby.

Check out this video monitor for more info:

Pros

• Highly secure connection
• Enables you to monitor baby from any location
• Allows you to share video files and photos
• Excellent quality video
• Long battery life
• Easy to set up
• Easy to use
• Great tracking features for newborns

Cons

• Smart sock must be purchased separately
• Range could be better

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Which do you think is the best baby video monitor?